or
Manifestations of her Spiritual State
which St. Teresa Submitted to Her Confessors
or
Spiritual Testimonies
or
Relations of the Spirit
_______________________
To One of Her Confessors,
from the House of
Dona Luisa de la Cerda, in 1562.
_______________________
Discussion Topics / Questions
1) St. Teresa stated that,
"God has...protected me...
so that I have not become worse;
on the contrary,
I see a great change for the better"
How did she improve?
[ Relations 2:
# 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
10,11,13,14,15,16,17 ]
2). What did St. Teresa specifically
say regarding the benefits of
her trances (raptures) and visions?
[ Relations 2: #1, 5, 15 ]
3). Why did St. Teresa desire
that others be detached ?
[ Relations 2: #13 ]
4). Why did St. Teresa say
that she wrote about
her current improved spiritual state
in comparison with her past?
[ Relations 2: #18 ]
|
1) St. Teresa stated that,
"God has...protected me...
so that I have not become worse;
on the contrary,
I see a great change for the better"
How did she improve?
[ Relations 2:
# 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
10,11,13,14,15,16,17 ]
St. Teresa said:
"Our Lord has taught me
a way of prayer,
wherein I find myself far
more advanced,
more detached
from the things of this life,
more courageous, and
more free.
[ Relations 2: # 1 ]
"God is giving me
more earnest desires,
a greater love of solitude,
a much greater detachment"
[ Relations 2: # 5]
"considering the graces
received from God,
I find myself very much better"
[ Relations 2: # 6 ]
~ True Poverty
"As to poverty,
God seems to have wrought
great things in me;
for I would willingly be
without even what is necessary,
unless given me as an alms; and
...my longing is extreme
that I may be in such a state
as to depend on alms alone
for my food…
and as to the blessings
that come with true poverty,
they seem to me to be great,
and I would not miss them.
( I should be sorry
to be deprived of these blessings
- Peer's translation )
[ Relations 2: # 2 ]
~ Great Faith
"Many times do I find myself
with such great faith,
that I do not think God will ever fail
those who serve Him
I cannot persuade myself
to the contrary,
nor can I have any fear"
[ Relations 2: # 2 ]
~ Growth in Love
"I perceive that my soul,
of His goodness,
grows daily more and more
in His love.
[ Relations 2: #14 ]
~ Much More Compassionate
toward the poor
~ with less fastidiousness
"I am much more compassionate
towards the poor
than I used to be,
having
a great pity for them and
a desire to help them;
for if I regarded only my good will,
I should give them
even the habit I wear.
( if I considered
only my own feelings,
I should give them the very clothes
I have on. -Peer's translation )
I am not fastidious
with respect to them,
even if I
had to do with them or
touched them with my hands,
this I now see is a gift of God;
( They cause me no repulsion,
even when I mix with them and
touch them, and
this, I now see, is a gift of God
-Peer's translation)
for though I used to give alms
for His love,
I had no natural compassion.
I am conscious
of a distinct improvement herein"
[ Relations 2: # 3 ]
~ Suffering for God
"As to the evil speaking
directed against me,
which is
considerable, and
highly injurious to me, and
done by many,
I find myself herein
also very much the better.
I think at times, and nearly always,
that it is just.
I feel it so little
that I see nothing in it
that I might offer to God,
as I learn by experience
that my soul gains greatly thereby;
on the contrary,
the evil speaking seems
to be a favour
...it neither disturbs
nor moves me;
[ Relations 2: # 4 ]
"The vehement longings
to do penance
which come, and have come,
upon me
are great;
[ Relations 2: #11 ]
~ Humility
Self-Knowledge
"Thus, considering the graces
received from God,
I find myself very much better;
but, considering my service to Him
in return,
I am exceedingly worthless,
[ Relations 2: # 6 ]
"I could not be led away
by vainglory…
I do not see
how I could imagine
any one of my virtues to be mine,
for it is not long since I was
for many years
without any at all; and
now so far as I am concerned,
I do nothing but receive graces,
without rendering
any service in return,
being the most worthless creature
in the world.
I am good for nothing in myself.
This is not humility only,
but the simple truth;
and the knowledge
of my being so worthless
makes me sometimes think
with fear
that I must be
under some delusion.
...I see clearly
that all my gain
- has come through
the revelations and the raptures,
in which I am nothing myself,
- (I) do no more to effect them
than the canvas
does for the picture
painted on it.
This makes me feel secure
and be at rest;
[ Relations 2: #15 ]
~ Attachment to God
Detachment to the world
"I think I have received...
a much greater liberty of late.
Hitherto I thought
I had need of others, and
I had more reliance
on worldly helps.
Now I clearly understand
that there is no safety
in leaning on them,
And so I know by experience
that the only way not to fall
is to
- cling to the cross, and
- put our trust in Him
who was nailed thereto.
I find Him a real Friend, and
With Him
I find myself endowed
with such might
that, God never failing me,
I think I should be able
to withstand the whole world
if it were against me.
[ Relations 2: #7 ]
Having a clear knowledge
of this truth,
I used to be very fond
of being loved by others;
now I do not care for that,
excepting
theirs who take care of my soul,
or
theirs to whom I think I do good
that they may be more inclined
to believe me when I tell them
that all is vanity.
[ Relations 2: #8 ]
"When I desire anything,
I am accustomed naturally
to desire it
with some vehemence;
now my desires are so calm...
Sorrow and joy,
excepting in that
which relates to prayer,
are so moderated,
that I seem to be without sense
[ Relations 2: #10 ]
~ Great Courage
"In the very grievous trials....
God gave me great courage; and
the more grievous they were,
the greater the courage,
without weariness in suffering.
Not only had I no ill-feeling
against those
who spoke evil of me,
but I had...
a deeper affection for them…
Certainly it was a gift
from the hand of our Lord.
[ Relations 2: #9 ]
"In matters concerning the faith,
my courage seems to me
much greater.
[ Relations 2: #14 ]
~ Conformity to God's Will:
"I place myself in the hands of God,
and trust my desires;
for I know for certain
that my desires are
to die for Him, and
to lose all ease, and
that whatever may happen.
[ Relations 2: #15 ]
"I remember the words of St. Paul...
'that I have
neither life,
nor speech,
nor will
of my own,
but that there is One in me
by whom I am directed
and made strong;
And the greatest oblation
I make to God,
as the highest service on my part,
is that I,
when I feel it so painfully
to be absent from Him,
am willing to live on
for the love of Him.
I would have my life also
full of great tribulations
and persecutions;
now that I am unprofitable,
I should like to suffer; and
I would endure
all the tribulations
in the world
to gain ever so little more merit
by a more perfect doing
of His will.
[ Relations 2: #16 ]
~ Spiritual Wisdom:
" What I see and understand
of the grandeurs of God, and
of the way He has shown them,
is so high,
that I scarcely ever begin
to think of them
but my understanding fails me,
-- for I am as one
that sees things far higher
than I can understand, --
and I become recollected.
[ Relations 2: #17 ]
_________________________
2). What did St. Teresa specifically
say regarding the benefits of
her trances (raptures) and visions?
[ Relations 2: #1, 5, 15 ]
St. Teresa said:
"The visions and revelations
have not ceased,
but they are of a much higher kind.
Our Lord has taught me
a way of prayer,
wherein I find myself far
more advanced,
more detached
from the things of this life,
more courageous, and
more free.
[ Relations 2: # 1]
God is giving me
more earnest desires,
a greater love of solitude,
a much greater detachment
with the visions"
[ Relations 2: # 5]
"all my gain
has come through
the revelations and the raptures,
[ Relations 2: #15 ]
_______________________
3). Why did St. Teresa desire
that others be detached ?
[ Relations 2: #13 ]
St. Teresa said:
"I feel in myself
a very earnest desire...
that God may find those
who will serve Him,
particularly learned men,
in all detachment, and
who will not cleave
to anything of this world,
for I see it is all a mockery;
for when I see
the great needs of the Church,
I look upon it as a mockery
to be distressed about aught else.
I do nothing
but pray to God for such men,
because I see
that one person, who is wholly perfect
in the true fervour of the love of God,
will do more good
than many who are lukewarm"
[ Relations 2: #13 ]
_____________________
4). Why did St. Teresa say
that she wrote about
her current improved spiritual state
in comparison with her past?
[ Relations 2: #18 ]
St. Teresa wanted to show the
mercy, compassion, and might of God
in granting her graces which enabled
and led her from "wickedness"
to such an advanced spiritual state.
and that others,
through prayer and good works,
may also dispose themselves
to the graces of God.
"And the reason why
I would have this known
is that the great power of God
might be made manifest.
"being as I was,
before these things happened to me,
a sea of wickedness and sins…
God so keeps me
from offending Him...
I think I discern
the great care He takes of me..."
[ Relations 2: #18 ]
~ End of Discussion Of Relation II ~ |
